1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to air bars for floatingly guiding a running film or paper web of indeterminate length as it moves through an elongated housing of a dryer.
2. Background Information
Air bars utilized in web drying equipment of the type to which the present invention pertains are shown generally in U.S. Pat. No. 4,787,547, issued Nov. 29, 1988 to Hella et al; U.S. Pat. No. 4,944,098, issued July 31, 1990 to Hella et al; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,833,794, issued May 30, 1989 to Stibbe et al. The air bars shown in those prior art patents are located along each side of the running web in spaced apart relationship to one another, the bars on one side of the web being arranged alternately across from those bars on the other side of the web, thereby causing the web to move in the generally sine wave pattern through the housing in the known manner. The air bars shown in the above patents or in other prior art patents may cause the air being discharged through the bars to impinge directly on the web, thereby effecting drying thereof. Usually these webs are printed or coated on both sides and therefore the web must be floatingly suspended without touching the air bars from the time they enter the drying housing to the time of their discharge from the housing.